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Pulsed-IV Parametric Test SolutionsIntroductionPulsed-IV parametric testing is becoming an increasingly common requirement for the development ofsemiconductor process and the evaluation of semiconductor devices. In recent years, the need for veryaccurate pulsed IV measurement has increased due to the development of more advanced processesutilizing exotic materials, the push for devices with lower power consumption, and many other factors.To meet these needs Keysight Technologies, Inc. offers a variety of pulsed-IV parametric test solutionsthat supply the widest range of pulse widths, voltage/current output, and performance available in theindustry. Each solution is well-proven and has already been used by many researchers worldwide to meetvarious advanced measurement needs. These range from the process development of cutting-edgetechnologies utilizing high-k gate dielectrics and SOI transistors to the evaluation of more conventionalsemiconductor process such as GaAs and HEMT or new materials such as SiC, GaN or Organic deviceswhich require both high voltage and high current measurement capabilities.This selection guide provides an overview and side-by-side comparison of all of Keysight’s pulsed-IVparametric test solutions to enable you to determine the best solution to meet your unique needs.Find us at www.keysight.comPage 1

Table 1. Multiple options for advanced pulsed measurement needsSelecting the Best Solution to Meet Your Measurement NeedsThis selection guide is designed to assist you in comparing Keysight’s pulsed-IV measurement solutionsand selecting the best one for your measurement applications. By following the steps outlined below youshould be able to determine the proper measurement solution to meet your needs.1. For each of the pulsed-IV specifications listed below, determine your measurement requirements.Note: Make sure that you understand that some solutions only work for specific device types andconfigurations. Range of pulse widths Required current measurement resolution Maximum voltage and current output capability Dual pulsing capability2. Determine which solution or solutions meet your pulse width requirements, taking into account yourfuture needs as well.3. If more than one solution meets your pulse width requirements, then choose among these solutionsusing the other measurement parameters (current measurement resolution, current/voltage outputcapability, etc.). Please keep in mind that there may be some trade-offs among these variousparameters (such as accuracy versus voltage/current output capability).4. Once you have decided upon a solution re-verify all of the specifications of that solution to make surethat it meets the measurement needs of your applications and devices.5. Software is also key factor to control measurement equipment or to synchronize two or moreequipment on the Pulsed IV measurement. In some cases, the calculation is required to evaluatecurrent from voltage. Keysight supplies a library of application tests for performing pulsed IVmeasurement on the EasyEXPERT software.Find us at www.keysight.comPage 2

6. To succeed in making high speed pulsed IV measurement you need more than just the correctmeasurement instrumentation; you also need to put sufficient forethought into the creation of the teststructures that will be used to make the measurement. Attempts to make fast pulsed measurementswith conventional DC test structures using DC positioners are in general unlikely to yield goodmeasurement results. In general, fast pulsed measurements require test structures designed for aground-signal (GS) or ground- signal-ground (GSG) measurement environment and RF positioners.The following figure illustrates this point.Figure 1. Example of pulsed IVFigure 2. Test structure for DC measurement and RF measurementFind us at www.keysight.comPage 3

Pulsed-IV Solution Overview—B1530A WGFMU (100 ns to 10 s) One hundred nanosecond pulsed IV parametric test solution Ultra accurate and fast characterization with 1 nA current measurement resolution Waveform generator/fast measurement unit (WGFMU)The Keysight B1530A WGFMU is a plug-in module for the B1500A semiconductor device analyzer thatprovides a 100 nanosecond pulsed IV parametric test solution with 1 nA current measurement resolution.The module supports a pulse width range from 100 nsec to 10 sec, and it is the best choice for theprecise evaluation of advanced MOSFETs and nano-scale devices such as carbon nanotube (CNT)transistors.The WGFMU’s powerful capabilities, such as a 5 ns sampling interval with 1 nA measurement resolution,cover applications that require both fast and precise measurements.Each WGFMU module has two channels, so only one module is necessary for three-terminal deviceevaluation. This solution does not require any other external equipment, complex cabling or customcircuitry. The WGFMU provides a true one-box pulsed IV measurement solution.Features 1 nA current measurement resolution 100 nanosecond gate pulse widths Dual pulse capability to apply to both gate and drain One-box solution that does not require any other external equipment or complicated cableconnections.Target device: Advanced semiconductor device, such as those fabricated in sub-45 nm processes Advanced nanotechnology device, such as CNT FETs, and carbon nanowire devices Organic based electronic devices Single electron transistor (SET) devicesFor more information: Technical overview Keysight B1530A Waveform Generator/Fast Measurement Unit,5989-8378ENFind us at www.keysight.comPage 4

Figure 5. B1530A waveform generator/fastmeasurement unit on B1500AFigure 6. Example of output waveform forPulsed IVPulsed-IV Solution Overview—B1525A HV-SPGU (5 μs to 10 s) Medium power pulsed IV parametric test solution Fast characterization with 40 V voltage and 400 mA current applying capability High-voltage semiconductor pulse generator unit (HV-SPGU)The Keysight B1525A HV-SPGU is a plug-in module for the B1500A semiconductor device analyzer thatprovides a 5 microsecond pulsed IV parametric test solution with up to 40 V and 400 mA outputcapability. It is the best choice for pulsed IV parametric measurement for middle range power devices,such as GaAs and HEMT devices for RF applications.The HV-SPGU module has an output-voltage monitor capability that supports a 5 μs sampling interval,providing superb accuracy. As shown in the block diagram this feature enables the calculation of theoutput current using the known output impedance of the HV-SPGU module.The features in HV-SPGU module, the highest accurate voltage forcing among the pulse generators forsemiconductor test, arbitrary waveform generation with 10 ns setting resolution, offer best-in-class pulsegeneration to meet wider application coverage.Each HV-SPGU module has two channels, so only one module is necessary for three-terminal deviceevaluation. This solution does not require any other external equipment or complex cabling.EasyEXPERT supplies a library of application tests for performing pulsed IV measurement using HVSPGU. The most basic of these application tests permits you to specify single (spot) pulsed measurementon two HV-SPGU channels. The setup screen for this application test is shown in Figure 8.(Note: Although the B1525A HV- SPGU module’s specified minimum pulse width is 50 nsec, the minimumpulse width of this solution is limited by the minimum current measurement interval of B1525A, 5 μs.)Find us at www.keysight.comPage 5

Features Up to 40 V and 400 mA output capability Pulse width range of 5 μs to 10 s Dual pulse capability to apply to both Gate and Drain One-box solution that does not require any other external equipment or complicated cableconnections. Easy setup using Keysight EasyEXPERT software 40 μA current measurement resolutionTarget device: Small RF signal MOSFET devices GaAs and HEMT devicesFor more information: Technical overview High Power Pulsed IV Solution Utilizing the B1525A HV-SPGU,5990-3786ENFigure 7. Block diagram of B1525A HV-SPGUFind us at www.keysight.comFigure 8. Sample application test for pulsedIV solution using B1525A HV-SPGUPage 6

Pulsed-IV Solution Overview—B1514A MCSMU (50 μs to 2 s) High power 50 μs pulsed IV parametric test solution Fast characterization with up to 30 V and 1 A source output Medium Current Source/Monitor Unit (MCSMU)The Keysight B1514A MCSMU is a plug-in module for the B1500A Semiconductor Device Analyzer thatprovides a 50 μs pulsed IV parametric test solution with up to 30 V and 1 A source output. This allows youto avoid self-heating on the IV characteristics measurement for the medium power and high powerdevices.The MCSMU is a floating SMU with a short pulse output capability based on the SMU technology which iswell known and has been used for a long time by many researchers and engineers both semiconductorand non-semiconductor industries. The N1255A 2 channel connection adapter shown in figure 10 is usedto convert the MCSMU dedicated output terminals to traditional SMU output terminals.The output IV waveforms can be monitored in the Tracer Test mode as shown in figure 11. You canmonitor both current and voltage waveforms with 2 μs sampling interval. You can set the narrow pulsesaccurately and easily by optimizing the pulse timing parameters, and obtain accurate result easily.It is the best choice for the pulsed IV parametric measurement of the medium power and high powerdevices such as SiC devices, GaN devices, and organic devices.Features Up to 30 V and 1 A pulse output 50 μs to 2 s pulse width with minimum 10 μs setting resolution 4-channel IV waveform monitor with 2 μs sampling interval Dual synchronous pulsed measurement with source output to gate and drain, with minimum 2 μspulse delay setting Proven accurate and conventional pulsed IV measurement Easy setup using Keysight EasyEXPERT softwareTarget device: SiC devices GaN devices Organic devicesFor more information: Technical overview 30 V — 1 A Pulsed IV Measurement Using the Keysight B1500A’s 50 μspulsed MCSMU, 5991-2502ENFind us at www.keysight.comPage 7

Figure 9. N1255A 2-channel connection adapterfor B1514A Medium Current Source/Monitor UnitFigure 10. Oscilloscope View MeasurementExample, 10 V and 50 μs Pulse Output toGate and Drain.Pulsed-IV Solution Overview—SMU (500 μs to 2 s) High power pulsed IV parametric test solution High voltage/current characterization with 200 V voltage and 1 A current sourcing capability Source and measurement unit B1510A, B1511A, B1511B, B1517A for B1500AThe Keysight source measurement units (SMUs) for parametric/device analyzers provide wide coveragefor pulsed IV parametric test, with up to 200 V and 1 A when using the high power SMU (HPSMU). Thisallows you to measure the IV characteristics of high power devices (such as those used in RFapplications) and avoid self-heating effects. Keysight SMUs have a pulse width range of 500 μs to 2 s.This method is well-proven and has been used for a long time by many researchers and engineers bothin and out of the semiconductor industry.Features Wide coverage: Up to 200 V and 1 A (High power SMU) Pulse width range of 500 μs to 2 s Synchronized pulse measurement capability One-box solution that does not require any other external equipment or complicated cableconnections. Proven accurate and conventional pulsed IV measurement Easy setup using Keysight EasyEXPERT softwareFind us at www.keysight.comPage 8

Target device: RF signal FET devices High power semiconductor devicesFigure 12. Example of SMU output in pulsemeasurementFigure 11. Keysight B1500A SemiconductorDevice AnalyzerTable 3. Key specifications of SMUsKey specifications of Keysight SMUs for pulsed-IV measurementSMUMax. voltageMax. currentMin. current resolutionMax. pulse widthB1510A HPSMU200 V1A10 fA2sB1511A/ B1511B MPSMU100 V100 mA10 fA2sB1517A HRSMU100 V100 mA1 fA2sE5280B HPSMU200 V1A10 fA2sE5281B MPSMU100 V100 mA10 fA2sE5287A HRSMU100 V100 mA1 fA2sB1500AE5270BFind us at www.keysight.comPage 9